Hollywood Disinformation

Joseph D. Duffey is the director of the US Information Agency, which includes the Voice of America.

Washington - By default, the portrayal of American culture by the private sector is left exclusively to the mainstream media, particularly through such outlets as CNN, and the variety of comedies and dramas exported either for television or cinema. While the United States enjoys a dominant position in the production and exportation of entertainment products, it remains debatable whether those products best serve America's broader interests and ultimately democracy itself. In recent years, an array of public figures has condemned the entertainment industry for its insistent portrayal of sex, crime and violence. Whether the critique is the depravity of Hollywood or the moral abyss of afternoon talk shows, a bipartisan consensus has emerged that America's mainstream media persistently expose their views to images and messages that undermine the moral character of their audience.

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